Even UHS has joined in the act. For the last two years, UHS has offered a massage program out of its Office of Health Education.

The program gives its clients two options: 45-minute massages at the Law School office of UHS or 10-minute "chair massages" at a site chosen by the client.

According to Keli Ballinger, who works in the health education office, demand for the massages has risen dramatically of late, prompting one therapist to take on an additional day of work.

"It has grown consistently over the past year," Ballinger says. "It's really, really expanded, and each week we're completely booked."

The program is geared toward faculty and staff, though Ballinger says she has seen students sign up.

Massages cost $45 for one hour, with members of the Harvard Group Health Plan (but not the student health plan) receiving a $5 discount.

Most massage customers--students and faculty members alike--tend to come on a regular basis, Ballinger says.

"We have people that schedule once a month," she says.

Because of the high demand for the hour-long sessions, however, UHS advises undergraduates to consider the chair massage option.

For $10, a student can have a massage therapist come to his or her room and give a ten-minute massage. At least six paying clients must be gathered at once for the chair massage, and appointments must be made at least five days in advance.

Ballinger says customers have been overwhelmingly pleased with the massages.

"The primary response is that it is very relaxing, and that even just the ten-minute appointment is worth a full day of relaxation," she says.

Smigelski, the dietician, says massage will be most helpful to students who are prone to muscle tension.

"People hold tension in their bodies, and different people have different stress organs--guts, muscles, headaches," he says. "For people who do feel a lot of muscle tension, massage is great."

Hollis, the manager of the health education office, adds that students should be sure they have time to adequately relax after any massage before investing time and money